Second Session Startup

The second session at CHV started up last past Tuesday. This meant a whole new group of kids; some with fresh faces, and others that I had met last year - all eagerly anticipating a summer of fun out on Long Island.

Because it was the first day much of it was spent getting the kids into the clubs they wanted, and showing the new campers what and where things are at the camp. While this would seem like a tedious endeavor for nearly 500 kids, the exceptional staff at CHV know how to make even the most routine moments fun.

For my team and I, the day began at the club fair, where club leaders display their club and try to get kids to sign up. As usual Save the Harbor put in a strong showing to get kids to join our fishing club. Our sign and props were attention grabbing. Priceless looks erupted from the faces of campers when we acted as though our prop lures were alive. I can't even imagine the ruckus that would have been raised if we had brought a real fish, but to be fair to the other clubs and ensure that they also had some campers, we had to hold back. Needless to say, we had plenty of customers looking forward to wetting a line and hopefully fighting a fish.

After that the campers headed out to different areas of the camp to find out what kinds of activities happen at each site throughout the summer. SHSB runs through the camp's Knowledge Is Power program so we headed up to the KIP building for our presentations.

On the way over, Bob, the head groundskeeper, grabbed my attention and told me that a lobster had made its way into our trap. Fantastic! Nothing better than a fresh lobster to get the kids asking questions and wondering about what else Save The Harbor has planned for the summer. After a quick run down to the docks the team and I were on stage with a cooler full of freshly caught crabs and lobster.

Holding a lobster for the first time.

The lobster worked like a charm - striking aw and sparking discussion. We left that day with many campers eager to come down to Shell Beach and explore The Harbor with us.

To new explorers and stewards of The Harbor,
Tom Rebula

Island Treasures

Today was an awesome day on Shell Beach at Camp Harbor View. Over the course of the afternoon we had the privilege to take out two groups of campers, leaders and LITs for some beach combing on Long Island's beautiful western shore. While the sun was hot, the refreshingly brisk water and a string of interesting finds helped us push on.

Among some of the more interesting finds was an old US military button. While it is hard to put an exact date on the button, because the makers-marks and distinct characteristics have corroded away in the saltwater, similar designs that I could find date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This puts it among the oldest finds I have seen (and can actually estimate a date) during my time at Save The Harbor, and certainly makes it deserving of the term historical treasure.

Its hard to make out, but the button has a a distinct and large 'US' stamped on it.

Needless to say the the camper with the sharp eyes was proud of his awesome find.

Of course, the day was also filled with plenty of biologically oriented discoveries. Each group managed to find their own dead skate, which provided an opportunity for me to discuss the species and plenty of awe-factor through their bizarre looks and 'ripe' smell. 

No beach walk on a rock strewn shore would be complete without a handful of ever present Asian Shore Crabs.

- To more great finds,

             Tom Rebula

Early Bird Catches The.. Oysters?

Last Friday was an exceptional day for exploration at Camp Harbor View. A strong low tide led to the exposure of a large gravel bank, which nearly doubled the size of the eastern most portion of Shell Beach. Additionally, the area was dotted with a number of tide pools- a treasure trove for the beach explorers at CHV. I only hoped that the gulls had not pillaged all that the area had to offer.

Watching the tide roll in on the expanded beach.

Fortunately for us we were able to find plenty of awesome stuff to discuss. The entirety of the exposed area was covered in periwinkles. A few steps on the rocky shoal also revealed the presence of countless soft shell clams, which made themselves known by spraying water out of their feeding holes. The kids loved getting the clams to spray each other. A quick dig and we had quite a large one in our hands.

The tide pools also contained plenty of hermit crabs and slipper shells- many stacked in large piles on top of one another. A walk further into the water revealed a few European oysters. The campers enjoyed these immensely and thought heavily on the potential for pearls.

A camper with some tide pool treasure.

It is only on these very low tides that these types of creatures can be captured at Camp Harbor View and I am sure that there are many that reside on this exposed area that the explorers at CHV have yet to find.  Unfortunately the gulls wait for no one, and are much more synchronized with the tide cycles than myself. As a result our beach combing groups are often late to the party. The evidence of this laid bare on previous expeditions when we have found the gull-torn remains of other species, including sea urchins.

A rather menacing gull.

Hopefully the next group that gets to go out on this fantastic piece of ocean floor will have even more luck, and beat the impeccable timing of the gulls.

- Tom Rebula

Feeling a little crabby?

The intrepid explorers at Black's Creek in Quincy have been off to a great start this summer!  So far the group has found an abundance of crabs, hermit crabs, periwinkles, and minnows, and the kids have had a great time learning about sea creatures, learning how to fish, and getting just a little bit messy.

Jack makes a new friend.

Caroline and Rachel get a little muddy.

Over at Camp Harbor View, Shell Beach has been a big hit.  Campers have begun to learn about all that the harbor has to offer, and that it's not just for fun and fishing (although it's great for those things, too).  The kids are learning just what it takes to make a living as a lobsterman, and just how much effort and hand work it takes.  While we haven't caught any lobsters yet, we've had an abundance of rock crab and spider crab.  Here's hoping to catch some of Larry the Lobster's cousins very soon.

Our marble hunt has also been a big hit with campers.  Whoever finds one of the many orange marbles we've scattered across Shell Beach will be entered into a lottery for the chance to win a lobster dinner for four!  The kids have searched high and low, and after only two days we've had several campers find some marbles.   

Shades is feeling good about his marble.

See you on the beach!

Andrew Bauld

Shell Beach, Coming to a camp near you!

Camp Harbor View, to be specific.  The Lobster Guys (aka Andrew and Will) have been hard at work getting Shell Beach ready for a great summer of fishin', grillin', and of course, lobsterin'!  We got things rolling with a presentation to staffers at CHV, helped out by our dear and delicious friend, Larry the 10 lb Lobster.

Larry the Lobster was a big hit

On Monday Shell Beach received a great surprise: a beautiful new dinghy from our friends at Boston Family Boat Building!  She should look great on the beach, and I can't wait to get her our on the water. 

On Tuesday, Will and I set a couple lobster traps in hopes of having something to show off next Monday.  We also combed the beaches for some good driftwood to begin building a new sign.  Some of the campers will also be helping us design a sign for Camp Harbor View to attach, and we should have it up and in the ground next week.  Hope everyone gets a chance to come visit us this summer on Shell Beach!

Gathering supplies...

...the pieces coming together.

Happy 4th of July!

-Andrew Bauld

Trash is Treasure on Shell Beach!

Today we visited Shell Beach at Camp Harbor View in the hopes of finding treasure! And what a treasure hunt we had! Our group searched the bases of large rocks, the shoreline and the shell-strewn beach for seaglass, strange shells, and relics from the past.

We found brilliant shards of seaglass in blue, green, brown, pink and even orange! Some of these looked like precious stones as they were polished to a superb finish by Boston Harbor's waves and sand. The explorers exclaimed that they thought these would be worth a lot of money, and were confused why someone would consider them trash!

There were SOOOO many strange shells to add to our bounty, including a long jacknife clam shell. Some of our campers had never seen the ubiquitous periwinkle and slipper shells either!

Also, we found shards of china, pottery shards and pieces of brick. We talked about how one china pattern was used at a nearby hotel, how bricks may of came from someone's home and speculated about the use of the pottery shards.

We had an interesting conversation about the origins of trash and the way waste was managed over time. We asked ourselves this question: How we will be remembered by the objects we leave behind?

All in all, we had a blast, and spent the last few minutes of our reflection time skipping stones on Boston Harbor.

Sheuli

Exploring Shell Beach

Today we embarked on a new adventure at Camp Harbor View! Over the next few weeks we'll be exploring Long Island from top to bottom, uncovering its hidden treasures, and learning more about the history of the island and the harbor.

Bruce joined us for the occasion!

We started out today by taking a trip to the rocky beach on the south side of Long Island. While we've spent plenty of time tide-pooling and searching for crabs on the north side of the island between the swimming beach and the fishing pier, this was the first time we've really gotten to explore "Shell Beach", as we later named it.

The name suited the beach perfectly; it was littered with piles of slipper shells, mussel shells, and periwinkle shells. After checking out the shells, we set off in search of sea glass and other interesting artifacts!

Thi may have a reputation as the champion glass hunter, but Hughes gave her a run for her money by finding a rare piece of grey sea glass!

Mark had the coolest find of the day, a rock split perfectly down the middle with layers of different colored rock and crystals on the inside, almost like a geode!

Chantelle with all the treasures we found today

We left all of our artifacts, cool rocks, and shells on a big rock where we will be collecting everything we find on Shell Beach over the rest of the summer (but if we spend a few more days at the beach we may have to find a bigger rock!).

Future destinations for the Boston Harbor Explorers at Camp Harbor View over the next few weeks include the lighthouse and the hiking trails, where we will learn a little history and hunt for invasive plants. We'll also be conducting a weekly crab count, and further explorations along the shore.

We will also share our ongoing research on the Scarlet Lady of Long Island with you all as we uncover the facts. Here is a picture of Cara after a rumored recent encounter with her on the island.

See you soon

-Paula